Momoiro no Tsubasa
by Kaizoku no Kazoku
Summary: On an island that seems to be a beautiful paradise, Zoro eats a fruit that turns him into a human/moth hybrid with beautifully colored wings. The way the natives of the island treat these hybrids makes this paradise anything but. LuZo Damsel!Zoro
1. Chapter 1

**Posting this fic for the readers here on Fanfiction. The rest of the chapters aren't as weird as this first one. Please enjoy! And if you like, please review!**

* * *

The island on which the Strawhats made landfall was a beautiful, tropical one. The warm sun shone down on beautiful trees and flowers of various types, some they'd seen before and some which were completely alien to them. There was all sorts of good food, from exotic fish to brightly colored fruits and vegetables. There were palm trees and shells that sparkled like jewels on the glistening white sand beaches. All in all, it seemed a wonderful place to settle down if one was into staying in one place.

Then again, according to the locals, they were going to be staying on the island for at least five weeks since that was exactly how long it was going to take the log pose to set, so in a way, they were staying in one place. Boredom threatened to overwhelm Zoro, so getting off the ship once they'd dropped anchor was a top priority.

"Ad-veeen-ture! Ad-veeen-ture!" Luffy sang as he and Zoro flung themselves over the railing of the ship and onto the ground.

"Most people want to rest and relax in a place like this," Nami said as she leaned over the same railing they'd jumped over just moments before. "But you want to adventure. Just make sure you keep an eye on Zoro so he doesn't wander off."

Zoro grumbled something about knowing exactly what he was doing, then he and Luffy were off.

* * *

Not wanting his most precious person to get lost, Luffy took and held Zoro's hand as they walked around a bustling city, taking in the sights, sounds, and smells. There were children playing along the sidewalks, and vendors beckoned to them from the streets, wanting the two newcomers to taste their wares.

"They have lobster kabobs over there!" Luffy exclaimed excitedly, pointing. "Come on Zoro, let's get some! My treat!"

"Well, okay. But don't buy too many," Zoro said as he walked with Luffy to the vendor stall.

"Hello there! Would you like to try my lobster kabobs?" The vendor asked in a friendly manner. He was a rotund fellow looking to be in his late fifties, with a bright smile on his face.

Luffy nodded vigorously. "Yeah, we'll have five skewers each!"

"Aho! I told you not to buy too many!" Zoro said, cuffing Luffy on the head. Then he turned to the vendor. "What he actually means is we'll have two each."

"But Zoro~!" Luffy whined as he paid for the four skewers. "We have enough money for ten!"

"We don't need ten!" Zoro told him.

The man laughed heartily as he took the money and handed them their kabobs.

"So what kind of attractions are there here?" Zoro asked as he blew on one of his kabobs before biting off a piece. "This is really good!"

"Well, you're in luck if you can stick around until later this week," the man said as he prepared his grill for more kabobs. "Later this week, we have our annual island festival with music, good food, fun games and prizes, and there will be a fireworks display at the end of the night."

"Sounds like fun!" Luffy said, getting pumped. "We'll definitely be staying for that!"

"You guys can go. A festival's not really my thing," Zoro stated, biting off another piece.

"But Zoro, I wanna go with you!" Luffy, who'd already inhaled his kabobs, whined.

"It's not even here yet!" Zoro said as he held his kabobs away from a grabbing Luffy. The man handed Luffy another one "on the house".

"I know, but it'll be fun!" Luffy said, cozying up to his boyfriend.

"Eh, alright. I guess it wouldn't hurt to stay there a few hours," Zoro said, giving in.

They thanked the man for the food, then they were off again.

* * *

"Zoro?" Luffy looked around. He couldn't find Zoro anywhere, and he'd only let go of his hand for a second! "Zoro!"

He ran all around the city, trying to think like a Zoro. After about a half hour of looking, he ran back to the ship. Maybe Zoro had found his way back there?

"Sanji! Sanji! I lost Zoro! I only let him go for a split second, and now he's gone!" Luffy cried as he ran into the galley.

Sanji snuffed his cigarette out in an ashtray. "Whoa, whoa. Hold on. Calm down. Where did you last see him?" He asked.

Luffy couldn't just simply, "calm down". Not with his boyfriend missing! "We were returning to the ship, when I let go of his hand, then like a second later, he was gone!"

It was a good thing that everyone had their own Baby Den Den Mushi with them this time around. Everyone except Zoro that is, who'd been supposed to stay with Luffy. Sanji called everyone else, alerting the rest of the crew to the disappearance of their crewmate. "And when you find him, bring him back to the ship. Luffy's waiting for him." Then he disconnected. "Try not to worry too much about him. He'll eventually find his way back."

* * *

Zoro looked around. There were nothing but trees and strange bushes and other plantlife growing all around him. He was hungry, tired, and had no idea where Luffy had gone, or where he himself even was for that matter. The time was tending towards evening when he spotted a cave up ahead. Maybe he could rest there and get his bearings before searching again for the ship.

* * *

It was surprisingly not too dark inside the large and winding tunnel. As he wandered further in, a sweet, fruity smell met his nostrils. At first his tried to ignore it, but as he wandered further, the fragrance became stronger until it was impossible to ignore, as if it were trying to lure him.

After several minutes of walking, he came upon a large cavern with a high ceiling. What surprised him was that, right smack in the middle of the cavern, was a strange tree, though what a tree was doing growing in a cave was beyond him. What was also strange was that the leaves were odd shades of either pink and lilac, pale yellow and baby blue, and peach and mint green. All pastel colors. The strangest of all though, was a single small, green fruit about the size of his fist hanging from one of the branches. It was nothing really remarkable, other than being star-shaped. He deduced that the fragrance was wafting from the tree.

Normally, he was cautious about such things, but he knew two things. One, he was ravenous, and two, that fruit was _not_ a devil fruit. They'd eaten many strange things on many strange islands over the course of their adventures. What could it do to him?

Feeling emboldened, he picked the fruit, wiping it on his sleeve before taking a bite.

This was definitely _not_ a devil fruit. It was fragrant and had a soft, but slightly crispy texture. It was also delicious, in a way that no devil fruit had ever been described. It had no seeds, nor core, just pure juicy deliciousness all the way through. He wiped the juice from his mouth after finishing the last bite, then licked the juice from the back of his hand.

Wondering where he could get another of these fruits, his eyes set upon the leaves of the tree. Specifically, the pink and lilac ones. He picked one, tentatively gave it a nibble, then realizing that the leaves were much like the fruit in flavor and texture, he set about eating his fill of those...

* * *

The rest of the crew had all but given up on finding Zoro, and Luffy was on the verge of breaking down. The only other times he got this hysterical was on the rare occasions he misplaced his hat. "Calm down Luffy," Nami said calmly, trying her best to refrain from shaking her captain. "He's still on this island somewhere, we just need to find him."

"Yeah, he can't have gone too far," Usopp added. "It's just that he's probably looking for us at the same time we're looking for him so it'll probably take a while longer."

"Either we'll find him, or he'll find his way back to the ship... eventually," Sanji said, taking a puff of his cigarette. "Either way, it'll help if we remain calm."

Luffy tried to calm himself down. He focused his mind on finding Zoro, and he wouldn't rest until he did.

* * *

Now that Zoro's stomach was full, he was sleepy. No, it was more like he was exhausted. After he'd eaten the fruit, he'd stripped every pink and lilac leaf from the tree. For some odd reason, he only found the ones of that color combination appetizing. He'd tasted the other colors not finding them to his liking at all. Now, he needed to get back to the ship so he could rest.

Amazingly, he was able to make his way out of the cave, as if his feet somehow knew instinctively where to go. Once he was out of the cave, he picked a seemingly random direction, and began walking again.

* * *

Everyone except Luffy was asleep by the time he'd gotten back. The ship was eerily quiet, and Luffy was sitting in the dining area of the galley when Zoro ambled in. Luffy trotted over to his boyfriend, wrapping his arms around Zoro several times.

"Where've you been?" Luffy asked quietly. "We've been worried sick!"

"Cave..." Zoro said around a jaw-cracking yawn, barely able to keep his eye open.

"Cave? What kind of cave?" Luffy asked as Zoro began to drag him, still hanging onto him, into the men's quarters.

"Fruit," Zoro said simply as he shed his swords and dropped limply into his hammock.

"Fruit... cave? What does that even mean?" Luffy asked, but Zoro was already asleep. "Goodnight Zoro, see you in the morning."

Luffy thought about it a while, wondering what kind of fruits Zoro had seen. Was it like a stash of devil fruits? But then again, probably not. Those were rare, even on the Grandline. Plus, there was nothing different about Zoro. What kind of fruit was he talking about then? Oh well, maybe I could ask him tomorrow, Luffy thought as he slipped into the hammock next to his beloved, embraced him, and closed his eyes with a smile.

* * *

"What the _hell_ is _THAT_?"

Luffy was jolted out of his sleep by Sanji's exclamation. Upon awakening, he noticed to his utter disappointment, that Zoro was gone again. "Sanji, Zoro-" Luffy cut himself off as he followed Sanji's gaze upward into a corner of the men's quarters where the two walls met the ceiling.

There was a massive, off white, cocoon-like formation nestled into that corner. "What do you think it is?" Luffy whispered to Sanji as if the thing on the wall would hear him.

"I don't know, but we need to get it out of here, and quickly, before whatever's in there comes out." Sanji lit a cigarette, taking a drag off of it. He wondered, not for the first time since seeing it, how whatever it was had gotten past their defenses and into the men's quarters of the ship. He was startled out of his thoughts by Luffy's panicked yell.

"AH! Whatever made that thing TOOK ZORO! LOOK!" Luffy pointed to Zoro's clothing lying on the floor; coat, sash, haramaki, pants, and boots. By that time, the rest of the crew in the men's quarters were waking up, one by one wondering what was making Luffy so upset, and one by one beginning to gawk at the strange 'thing' that had seemingly grown overnight on the walls near the ceiling.

"What the hell is that thing?" Franky asked as he walked over and tentatively touched part of it with his massive hand, then giving it a gentle squeeze. "Whatever's in it is alive, and it moves when I squeeze it."

"Don't squeeze it. We still don't know what it is," Sanji reasoned, thinking it looked like a cocoon of some sort.

Noticing that they were short one crewmate, Franky and the others looked around for Zoro. "Where's Zoro-bro?"

Luffy, who'd tried to calm himself down, told Franky, "Whatever made that thing, took Zoro! He came back a few hours ago, talking about caves and fruits, and when I woke up," Luffy pointed to the corner where the cocoon thing was, " _that_ was up there, and _those_ ," He pointed to Zoro's clothing. "were down there."

Franky put a hand to his chin. "Maybe if we open it up, we could see what's inside, and get a clue as to Zoro's whereabouts."

"Great idea!" Usopp chimed in.

"Bad idea," Robin said from the door of the men's quarters. Everyone looked around to see her and Nami standing there.

"What do you mean?" Usopp asked. "Zoro came back but he's gone missing again." He pointed to the swordsman's clothes beneath the cocoon. "His clothing is still here, so we were going to try to find out what happened to him."

"If what I've read about this particular island is correct, you may not want to disturb that cocoon," she said, coming in.

"How come?" Chopper asked.

"Because Zoro's inside," she replied simply.

"But if he's inside, shouldn't we get him out then?" Usopp asked worriedly. "We don't even know what put him in there!"

"No one put him inside, he made it himself," Robin told him. "Come with me. I have something to show you."

* * *

In the library of the Sunny, Robin cracked open a book she'd read on the culture, customs, and history of the island they were currently visiting, as well as a book on the plantlife.. Over the course of the next several minutes, Robin explained in detail about the caves, the trees with their fruit, and what happens to the human body once the fruit is eaten.

"So that's what Zoro meant," Luffy said, getting it now.

"What do you mean?" Usopp asked.

"When Zoro came back, I asked him where he'd been, and he was so sleepy, he just said "cave". When I asked him what kind, he said "fruit". But I didn't know what he meant," Luffy explained. "Do you really think he could have found one of those fruits, and not something else?"

"Yeah, you did say they were rare," Usopp piped in.

"Yes, one or two grow in the caves once every one-to-three years," Robin said, recalling what she'd read. "They're rare, as well as being extremely difficult to locate for the great majority of people."

"So the question that remains is, how did Zoro, of all people, find one?" Sanji asked, taking out another cigarette, lighting it and taking a drag, blowing out the smoke.

"I'm not sure. All we know for certain is that he's eaten at least one, and one is all it takes. It's only a matter of time before he comes out of the cocoon and we get to see the new Zoro."

A smile spread over Luffy's face as he thought about Zoro's new form. "Zoro's gonna have _wings_! I wonder what color they'll be?"

"It'll depend on whether or not he ate some of the tree leaves. Each tree has three different color combinations. Usually pastel colors like pink and baby blue," Robin went on explaining. "If he didn't eat the leaves, his wings will just be a dull brown or grey color. As for the colors of Zoro's wings, we'll just have to wait and see."

"I hope they'll be pink!" Luffy laughed. "That'll go great with his green hair!"

"I don't think pink and green would go together..." Usopp said, trying to think about what that would look like.

"What are you talking about?" said Luffy indignantly. "Pink and green go _great_ together! Like a watermelon!"

"I dunno..."

"They do!"

"Besides, the inside of a watermelon is more red than pink."

"Pink and green will be pretty!"

"What's the point of arguing when we haven't even seen his new form yet?" Franky asked, shugging his huge shoulders. "We don't even know _what_ color his wings will be!"

Luffy laughed. "Gonna be pink!"

"How do _you_ know?"

"I just know!"


	2. Chapter 2

Luffy sat on his box hammock in the men's quarters, gazing at Zoro's cocoon in anticipation. According to Robin, it was going to be at least three weeks before he'd see his boyfriend's new transformation. When he came out, he was going to be a human/moth hybrid, complete with feathery antennae, and an extra pair of limbs. This made Luffy happy, knowing that Zoro would be able to use five swords now.

It had only been four days, but Luffy was anxious for Zoro to come back to him. He'd been told that although Zoro was in a deep state of unconsciousness, he would most likely hear it when Luffy talked to him. So that's what Luffy did, everyday. He was even missing the festival going on right now to be with Zoro.

"Hey Zoro, it's me, Luffy," The rubberman began quietly as he lay on his back in his hammock, which fortunately was up near Zoro's current position on the wall. "I can't wait to see you again! Robin says that that fruit you ate is gonna make you be able to fly! Won't that be cool? I really hope you ate the pink leaves too, so your wings will be pretty! So pretty!" He rolled over onto his side, touching the surface of the cocoon lightly where he thought Zoro's chest to be. He could feel Zoro's slow, even breathing, and a slight heartbeat. "Chopper checks on you three times a day to make sure you're doing okay. He says you're okay so far, but I wanna see you! I wanna see you again so bad! It's almost like when we were apart for those two years."

He moved his hand up to where he knew Zoro's face to be. He caressed the covering as if it were Zoro's cheek. "I love you, Zoro, and I miss you. It's- well, not loneliness, but..." Luffy sighed. "A feeling that's like... I'm not alone, but I'm still feeling lonely... Something like that... ya know? Come back to me, Zoro. As quick as you can, okay?"

There was something Robin had also told them about the culture and people here, that troubled Luffy. But not wanting to upset Zoro, he kept quiet about it, for now. If, after the log set, they could leave immediately, then all would be well anyway. At least, he hoped it would work out that way.

Luffy let his eyes drift closed just as the first explosions of fireworks from the festival were audible from inside the ship.

* * *

Three weeks and two days had passed without so much as a peep from the cocoon, and Luffy was getting antsy. And worried. Chopper assured him that Zoro was okay, just that it was taking time for him to finish developing so that he could emerge from the cocoon in his fully transformed glory.

"Maybe he's having trouble coming out," Luffy said as he paced the floor the night of the third day that Zoro had failed to emerge. "Maybe I should help him!"

"No!" Franky, Usopp, and Chopper shouted simultaneously, moving to stop him.

"Robin didn't say it would be exactly three weeks. It could take longer than that," Franky reasoned. "Besides, when he's ready to come out, he's strong enough to get out of it himself."

Luffy sighed, hoisting himself up onto his hammock. He touched the off white surface of the cocoon. "I know, I just want Zoro back."

"We know. He'll be back with you soon enough."

* * *

His mind slowly floated to a fuzzy consciousness, the very little light he saw around his enclosure indicating that it was nighttime. The pocket he currently resided in was comfortable and warm, but cramped, and he knew instinctively that now was the time to come back out into the world from which he'd been hidden away for so long.

Joining his hands back-to-back, he let his fingers do the work of prodding and parting the densely packed fibers that made up the cocoon. It took several minutes, but he was able to finally open a hole big enough out of which to gaze. The air that hit his face was cool, almost cold, compared to the air inside his snug cocoon. His good eye had better night vision now, and he could clearly see Luffy sleeping in his hammock, a bit off to his side.

He watched the rubberman lie sleeping on his side, his arm stretched out, touching the thick, fibrous mass that was Zoro's now partially open cocoon. Zoro lingered inside a little longer, then carefully and laboriously ripped his way through the rest of the tough, cottony fibers.

Freeing his damp wings, he clung to the surface of the now empty cocoon, shaking them out and letting them hang down loosely. It wouldn't take long for them to dry, he knew, then he could set about getting himself some clothing from his stash.

He hadn't expected his new wings to be pink with lilac swirl and spot patterns on them. So the leaves he'd eaten determined the wing color. He should have left them alone. But he'd been so hungry. And he didn't remember anything from the time he'd finished the last leaf to now.

The fact that he had wings, oddly enough, didn't surprise him. There were many weird types of fruit to be obtained along the Grandline. Some good, some not so good. The additional limbs however, did surprise him. He smiled. Now he could wield _five_ katana! He'd have to go into town later to buy two more. He turned, gazing down at his rubber boyfriend, realizing that katana weren't the only thing he could hold with four arms...

* * *

Luffy awoke to a familiar warm embrace. He snuggled in further. "Zoro...". Then his brain caught up with what he'd said, and his eyes shot open, taking in the new form of his sleeping boyfriend. "Zoro! Zoro, you're back!" He exclaimed as he pulled Zoro, who was beginning to awaken, closer to him. "I've missed you so much!"

"...Missed you too, Luffy..." Zoro murmured sleepily as his eyelid slid closed again.

Luffy lifted his head to peer at Zoro's wings. "I knew they'd be pink," he said with a smile in his voice. He stroked one with his palm. "So pretty..." He couldn't wait to see Zoro in full flight! His eyes drifted up to the top of Zoro's head where his large feathery antennae lay on the pillow. Luffy gently ran his fingers over the feathery part, stopping when Zoro shook his head.

"Stop that... It tickles," Zoro said, pulling the blanket over his head.

"Gomen, gomen!" The black haired man beside him laughed cheerfully. Luffy wrapped his arms around Zoro, then he sniffed his boyfriend's hair. First tentatively, then he took a deep whiff. "You smell really nice Zoro. Like... like honeysuckle! Is it a new shampoo?"

"No, I haven't bought any new shampoo in a while, and I haven't washed my hair yet either," Zoro replied.

Then Luffy remembered something that Robin had said about the human/moth hybrids. That they had a distinct sweet candylike, floral-sometimes-fruity scent to them.

"You smell so good..." Luffy said as he buried his nose into Zoro's hair once more.

* * *

"None of my shirts fit anymore!" Zoro griped later that morning as he tried on garment after garment, tossing each to the floor in frustration.

"You have wings and four arms now. Why'd you think that they would still fit?" Usopp asked as Zoro slipped his haramaki over his belly, seemingly pleased to find that his new body wouldn't interfere with him wearing it.

"I didn't think-" He sighed. "I don't know why. I just thought they would, is all."

"What's wrong?" Nami asked as she peeked in the door of the men's quarters, watching Zoro as he tried on a tank, then threw it to the floor with the rest of his tops.

Usopp filled her in, as he watched Zoro's frustration increase. "None of his shirts fit him anymore,"

"Well, that's a given," she said as Zoro picked up the pile of clothing and unceremoniously dumped them, unfolded, back into their container where he'd gotten them from. "Robin and I are going shopping. Maybe we can pick you up some more shirts made just for humoths."

"Humoths?" Zoro asked indignantly.

"Yeah, that's what I've decided to call your species. It's easier than saying human/moth hybrid," she said calmly.

"I'll have you know that I still consider myself a human!" Zoro told her as he closed the container. He tied a sash around his waist, sticking his three katana into it. "I'm _not_ this _thing_ you call a humoth!"

"Awww, I wonder if you remember that debt you owe me from two years ago in Loguetown?" She asked innocently.

Zoro narrowed his good eye and grit his teeth. "Fine. Call me what you want! I don't care! Just leave me alone." And he brushed past her, storming out of the room.

* * *

As he was enjoying a leisurely flight around the crow's nest of the Sunny, Zoro thought about things. He'd been happy to discover that his wings weren't paper-thin, and were actually strong enough and flexible enough to support his weight.

Try as he might, he couldn't remember anything between eating the cave fruit and leaves and coming out of the cocoon. It literally felt like one day he was a normal person, then the next he was a human/moth hybrid.

Thanks to Robin filling him in, he knew that as a newly transformed hybrid, he'd need to be careful around this island. He sighed. He couldn't wait to set sail, so he could freely fly around without restriction. He turned in mid-air as he heard a tap on the hatch of the crow's nest.

"Zoro..." Luffy marveled, coming through the hatch. "Your flight is so beautiful... How did you learn to fly so well right after you got your wings?"

Zoro thought a moment. "Maybe it's instinctive, like it is for a butterfly or moth when they get their wings."

Luffy grinned as he walked over to his green-haired boyfriend. "I wish I could fly. How does it feel?"

"Flying feels wonderful!" Zoro admitted, letting Luffy crawl up to his shoulders, taking off again. "I can't wait until I can fly outside, fully free!"

"Just a few days more," Luffy reminded him. "Mmm... This _does_ feel wonderful!"

* * *

"Where are you going?" Nami asked Zoro a couple days later as he came up from below deck, looking as if he were preparing to leave the ship. He was wearing one of the new shirts she and Robin had picked out for him.

"Gonna go buy myself some new katana, 'cause I can use five now," he told her, as he unfolded his wings, preparing for flight. He had grown tired of staying hidden.

"You can't! I mean, it'll only be a few more days before we leave this island," she said standing and walking over to him. "You have to stay hidden until then."

"Nothing's gonna happen to me," he said confidently. "They couldn't catch me anyway."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Nami said. "But, if you're insisting on going out anyway, then wait here. I have something you'll need."

* * *

Dressed in a long cloak to hide his wings and a large hat that flopped down in the back to hide his antennae, Zoro strolled through the marketplace searching for a merchant selling katana.

He knew he had to be careful and not reveal what he really was to anyone on this island. According to Robin and the others, the people who consumed the fruits and gained the moth-like characteristics such as he had, were treated as national treasures, but at the same time, their humanity was stripped from them by law. People here preferred to keep them as beautiful, elaborate pets, where they lived their lives in small cages, and were not allowed to leave the island. It was probably no wonder he hadn't seen any other human/moth hybrids in his time on the island. Until he'd become one, he hadn't even known such a thing existed.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a shop selling new and used katana, and wrapping his cloak tighter around himself, he walked in.

"Irasshaimase!" The man behind the counter greeted cheerfully. "Is there anything I could interest you in? We have many types of katana. Is there a specific type you're looking for?"

Zoro shook his head, reaching up with one hand to pull the hat tighter onto his head. He quickly pulled it back into the sleeve. "Not really. Just browsing for now."

The man's eyes dropped down to Zoro's three katana, which were tied to the cloak with his red sash, then back up to his face. "You a collector?"

"Yeah," Zoro answered simply. "Something like that." He wished the man would leave him to his browsing.

"You collect rare katana I see," the man observed, noting the type Zoro had with him. "I have a few here, if you'd like to see them."

Zoro really wanted to see them and check them out, but he didn't have enough money to buy two rare ones. Plus, he didn't have much time. He didn't want to get found out before he could get back to the ship. Then again, the katana were rare. "Yeah, I'd like to have a look."

The man took him into another room of the shop and over to a large glass display. "Here we are. They're not quite as rare and sought after as yours are, but it's what we have. Browse till your heart's content. I'll be in there if you find something you like." Then he walked back into the main room of the store.

Zoro breathed a sigh of relief as the man left. As he browsed the selection of rare katana, his ears picked up the sounds going on in the other room. He couldn't really relax though, or take off his cloak, even though it was uncomfortably warm.

He browsed some more, finding some katana to his liking, and wanting to try them out, but unfortunately, that wasn't really an option. He wished, just for a moment, that he could go back to being normal human Zoro. But things had changed now. And until they set sail for the next island, he had to stay as inconspicuous as possible. He knew he could fight off the people of the island and get away, but he preferred not to cause a stir.

Deciding on a rare katana from the case and another cheaper one from the wall beside the glass display, he went to get the man from the other room.

"I saw two I'm interested in. One of the rares, and a normal one," Zoro told him, hoping the man would remove it from the case to show him.

"Which ones would you like to see?" The man asked Zoro as he led him back into the other room.

Zoro pointed to the two he wanted; the man taking out the rare one from the case first. "So you like this one then," he said as he liberated the blade from it's sheath. He watched as Zoro's good eye lit up, and he tried and failed to contain a delighted smile. "The Moriume," the man said. At Zoro's look of confusion, he explained, "It has an innocent sounding name, but it's a very formidable katana. Would you like to hold it?"

Zoro was itching to hold it. Feel it come alive in his hands. But time, however, was of the essence. He regained his composure, and told the man, "Actually, I'd like to buy it, along with the other one."

"Good choices," the man said as he took the other katana off the wall, taking both swords to the checkout counter.

"That will be 375,000 beri please," The merchant said as he rang up the katana.

As he turned to bundle the swords in a long sack made just for carrying them, Zoro took that opportunity to fish the currency out of an inner pocket of his cloak, pulling it back around him before the man could see anything. With one hand, he handed the man the money once he'd turned around again.

The man counted the money after handing Zoro his new katana. "Thank you, and if you get the chance, come again!" He waved as Zoro left the shop.

After Zoro had gone, the man noted the odor that still lingered for a few minutes in his shop. It smelled strongly of sake with fruity, sweet notes to it. Like honeysuckle. It was like nothing he'd ever smelled before. And he couldn't help but wonder about the hat, cloak, and the secretiveness of the young man. If he hadn't known better, he'd swear that the young green-haired man was one of their treasured hybrids. But, going by his appearance, he wasn't even from this country. But then, even with as rare as the fruits were, it still wasn't a stretch that a lucky foreigner could get ahold of one. They'd certainly not know what it was unless they'd done research on the island's plantlife. If the young man really _was_ a hybrid, this was an urgent situation, and he couldn't be allowed to leave.

Grabbing his den den mushi from under the counter, he tapped in a number...

* * *

As Zoro walked along, he pulled down the brim of his hat, trying his best to look inconspicuous and blend in. It wasn't easy though, dressed as he was. There were a lot of people stopping and staring as he walked by, trying to ignore them. He had what he'd set out to acquire, now he just had to get back to the ship... If he could remember where it was.

Except for the one hand holding the sack, he was careful to keep his cloak closed and his eyes on the road ahead. Now if he could just find the area where they'd docked the ship, everything would go as planned.

"ZOROOO!"

Zoro nearly jumped out of his skin when he heard the familiar voice calling his name. He turned to see Luffy jogging toward him. "Shit Luffy! You nearly scared me half to death!"

He laughed. "Warui! Shishishishi!" He slowed to walk beside his boyfriend, sticking his hands into his pockets. "Nami told me you were buying new katana today. Are these them?" He peered at the long sack in Zoro's hand.

"Yeah," he said. "I didn't have enough money to get two good ones though. I had to get a cheaper one. I'll replace it when I have more money."

Luffy grinned, offering to carry them for his boyfriend. "I can't _wait_ to see them in action!" He then sniffed at Zoro. In a quiet voice, he said, "Your honeysuckle smell is mixed with a sake smell now. It's weird."

"I had to disguise my scent some kind of way. This was the only thing I could think of," Zoro commented. "Why do I have to smell like flowers anyway?"

Just then, about eight armed officials from the country's government quickly surrounded them, cutting off any route for escape.

"Roronoa Zoro."

Zoro didn't like the way the head official spoke his name. By the way he'd spoken it, Zoro realized that this man was not looking to collect his bounty. Zoro's cloak was off and his katana drawn in less than the blink of an eye. Wings fully exposed now, he growled, "I'm only warning you once. Just step away, and no one gets hurt." He was _not_ going to be forced into someone's tiny cage and live on this island for the rest of his life. He was a pirate, and pirates were free!

The officials hoisted their rifles and Luffy took action, using his Gomu Gomu no Gatling to clear a path for Zoro. Fortunately, he hadn't needed to, because as soon as the rifles had been raised, Zoro had taken to the air, swooping down to disable any reinforcements.

More government officials showed up, aiming and firing at Zoro who'd expertly diverted or dodged their bullets, while others on the ground tried to stop Luffy.

As Zoro swooped down again, he felt a jabbing pain in one of his upper left arms that nearly caused him to drop his katana. He had no time to pay attention to the gunshot wound however, he needed to-

And it was then that it hit him. A sense of acute drowsiness that threatened to pull him under. He glanced wide-eyed at the wound in his arm, and discovered... a tranquilizer dart. So those weren't bullets in those guns. Yanking it out, he realized he needed to get to the ship, and fast. If he got to the safety of the Sunny- He then felt the same jabbing pain in his right leg. Up in the air as he was, he could see the Sunny from his vantage point; his vision blurring and tunneling. Now just to get there before the darts knocked him completely unconscious.

Barely able to keep his eye open, he flew as fast as his wings would carry him, racing against time and the sedative to get to the ship. As the sedative took complete hold though, all three katana fell away from his hands. Taking a nosedive, he hit the ground at a bone-jarring speed, sliding a ways before coming to a stop.

Luffy screaming his name was the last thing he heard.


	3. Chapter 3

"ZOROOOOO!" Luffy screamed. "Gomu Gomu no GATLING!"

Officials flew this way and that through the air, scattering under Luffy's barrage. Zoro was draped over the back of a horse; one of the officials taking him further and further away from Luffy. He had to get him back!

Activating his haki, government officials dropped in an ever-widening circle around Luffy. While it didn't reach the officer taking Zoro from him, it did clear a path. By then though, Luffy could no longer see Zoro or the officer.

"Damn!" He swore out loud. He had an idea of their general direction, but not exactly where they'd gone. He whipped his head around, addressing a local, any local. "Where've they taken him?" No answer. "Where've they taken him?! I need to know!" He asked again, but no one seemed to want to answer. It was as if they thought it was okay for the hybrids to be treated the way the officials had treated Zoro. "Damn!" He swore again. He ran off in the direction of the Sunny, stopping only to pick up Zoro's other three katana along the way. He was _going_ to get his boyfriend back, the culture and customs of this island be damned!

* * *

Cracking open an eyelid that was still heavy with sleep, Zoro took stock of his surroundings. He was lying on his side in a small but comfortable bed. His right arms were bandaged up to the shoulders, and the right wrist on his upper pair of limbs sported a white cast. Moving his head, he realized he'd been collared.

Looking around him, he realized he was in a cell in a clinic of some sort, the bars cutting the dim light of the place neatly into square chunks on the floor. Beyond the bars was a room of dimly lit white with tables, counters, cabinets, a sink, and operation equipment. Pushing off the blanket that covered him, he'd moved to sit up when a wave of dizziness hit him. Closing his eyes, he rode it out until it was more manageable, then he slowly sat all the way up.

A voice to his left startled him enough to whirl his head around, bringing back the dizziness and threatening to make him throw up.

"You tried to leave the island didn't you?" A young man in the next cell over, who appeared to be in his early thirties, said to him. Lying on his stomach, he sported a pair of pale yellow wings with peach colored swirl markings on them. Tucking a strand of long, dark brown hair behind his ear, he continued. "You can never escape from here. Too many governmental eyes."

Zoro just blinked tiredly at the man.

"You don't look like you're from around here," he observed. "Where you from?"

Without thinking, Zoro muttered, "East Blue..."

"Wow, you're really far from home," he said, and Zoro noticed a chain running from the stranger's collar to a ringbolt on the floor. He noticed that it was the same with his own. "You won't be going back there ever again. Once you're caught, you won't ever see freedom again. They call us treasures, but we're really just their prisoners. What's your name?"

"Zoro..."

"Like the Pirate Hunter Roronoa Zoro?"

Zoro was too tired to talk much, so putting a hand to his still spinning head, he just said, "Yeah..."

"My name is Katsuya. Go get some rest, you're going to need it," the man said.

"No..." Zoro shook his head slowly, getting out of the bed. "Gotta get back to Luffy..." He walked to the front of his cell, grabbing the bars with three hands, attempting to break himself free.

"These cells are made of sea stone. You're not gonna be able to get out. When you're sold, they keep you in a cage made of the same stuff," Katsuya told him.

Zoro stopped for a moment, turning to look at Katsuya. "Why?"

"Why do they keep us in sea stone cages or why are the cages made of sea stone?" He asked, wondering which question Zoro wanted answered.

"Why are the cages made of sea stone?" Zoro asked, then began trying to free himself again.

"A few decades back, there was one of us who also happened to be a devil fruit eater. He was able to escape his cage, and was almost able to leave the island. Since then, they've made the cages from sea stone to guard against the possibility of another devil fruit user trying to escape. Unfortunately, the hardness of the stuff makes it impossible for us normal hybrids to escape too. It's a convenience for the people who keep us locked up as pets."

"Kuso..." Zoro swore, tightening his hands on the bars. How was he going to get back to Luffy if he couldn't get out of this cell?

Katsuya chuckled. "Still trying to get out of here, huh? They'll let you out, right around the time they sell you to someone who's just gonna keep you in a cage."

Zoro grabbed the collar, trying to rip it from his neck. It didn't budge. "This is sea stone too, I gather."

"Yes." Katsuya lay his chin on his hands. "The chain too. Is this Luffy you mention getting back to, I know this may be a stretch but, is he by chance Monkey D. Luffy?"

"Yeah, he's my Sencho," Zoro replied, banging his fists against the unyeilding bars. "Kuso!"

"So you _are_ Roronoa Zoro!" Katsuya laughed. "I've never met an actual pirate before!"

Zoro turned away from the bars, and careful of his wings, slid down to sit on the floor. "You seem happy for someone who's a prisoner," Zoro commented, turning to the man.

"When you're in a situation like this, you find every opportunity to laugh," the older man said. Then he turned serious, "If you don't, you'll go crazy..."

Zoro was quiet for a long time, before he spoke again. "When did you eat the fruit? I mean, like how long ago?"

"About ten years ago," Katsuya answered. "I think."

Zoro was confused. "Why did you eat the fruit if you knew about what it would do and how people would treat you because of it?"

"That's the insidious thing about it," Katsuya admitted. "It lures you. Especially if you're really hungry when you encounter it. It's that sweet, irresistable smell. Then when you find it, even if you're the most cautious of people, you get brave and eat it, thinking, 'What could it do to me?', you know? Then the next thing you know, you're hatching out of a cocoon in the middle of the night, and you have wings, feathery antennae, extra arms, and an unwanted lifetime prison sentence."

Zoro's good eye widened. "That's exactly what happened to me! I got separated from Luffy, and found these caves. And figuring I could rest and regroup there, I went inside."

"And that's how it gets you," Katsuya told him. "And apparently, not everyone is lured by the fruit. It seems to get random people."

"After you were discovered, how long was it before you were sold?" Zoro asked, running his fingers along the length of chain attached to his collar. If only he could find a way to remove it.

"I wasn't. The vet I was sent to decided they wanted to keep me. I've been here ever since."

A spike of fear, an emotion he wasn't used to feeling, lanced through Zoro's heart, "...And how long have you been here?"

Katsuya could read the fear on Zoro's face and in his demeanor. He really didn't want to tell him, but he didn't want to lie either. "...Almost the whole time I've been a hybrid."

At that, Zoro was again trying to find a way to free himself, looking for any weakness in the structure of the cell.

Katsuya sat up, waving his hands. "Whoa, wait! That wasn't what I meant! I'm allowed to get out sometime. They take me outside every now and then."

"I need to get off this island," Zoro said, beginning to wonder if there really was no way to get out of his cell. "I need to get to Luffy."

"I hate to tell you, but you'll likely never see Luffy again, or if you do, you'll always be separated by bars." Katsuya sighed. "I have a girlfriend who was pregnant with our first child when I was taken away from them. I see my son maybe a few times a year. And when they do show up, they don't even let me out to be with them."

"They're actually allowed to do that to people?" Zoro asked indignantly. "That's inhuman!"

"They don't see us as human anymore once we become hybrids. It's just the way things are here."

"Damn..." Zoro swore again, pulling up his legs and wrapping all four arms around his knees. "I gotta get out of here..."

Katsuya's heart went out to Zoro. This was how things had been for him when he was first imprisoned simply for being a hybrid. There wasn't a day that went by that he wished he could've been able to ignore the fruit, and not have become one. "Hey Zoro?..."

When Zoro looked up, he said, "Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe you'll see Luffy again..."

Zoro turned his head back around, sighing heavily.

Just then, he heard the sound of a door opening. Turning around, he saw a woman in a white coat entering. Instantly, he was back on his feet, hands tightly gripping the bars of his cell.

"It's good to see you awake, Momo," she said, coming closer to Zoro's cell. "You've been sleeping a long time now. I was almost afraid you wouldn't wake up."

The woman's gentle demeanor made most of Zoro's anger melt away. Now he just felt frustrated. "Momo?"

"Your wings are pink," she softly clarified.

Zoro blushed as pink as his wings. "I ate the pink leaves..."

The nurse smiled a gentle, pretty smile. "I think your wings are really pretty."

Zoro bristled inwardly, annoyed that anyone would call any part of him "pretty". He sighed, running a hand down his face. "Could you let me out of here? I need to-"

"I can't do that," she interrupted. "I wish I could set you free, I really do, but I could get into a lot of trouble if I let you go."

Zoro's brows furrowed, his frustration deepening. "But I need to get back to my nakama! They're really important to me!"

"I'm really sorry," she apologized sincerely. "But you've been sold to a family that lives not too far from here. They've arranged to pick you up tomorrow. They'll take really good care of you, and-"

"I already _have_ a family! My nakama are my family!" Zoro shouted, trying to free himself all over again. "Let me go! _Please!_ " He hated to beg.

"I.. can't..." She knew how Momo felt in a way. The veterinarian resident pet Katsuya had been the same way when he was first locked in his cell. It took a lot of time for him to get used to his new lot in life. She could no longer stand to see Momo begging to be freed. "I... need to go... I'll come back to feed you later."

"No! Let me go! Don't leave!" Zoro shouted to her retreating back. After she'd gone, he'd sighed, turning and heading for his bed. Sitting down on it, he swore.

"Damn!"

* * *

"I _saw_ them take Zoro!" Luffy shouted, insisting that his nakama believe him. "They shot him down with tranquilizer darts, and took him away before I could get him back! And the locals wouldn't tell me where they took him!"

"We believe you," Sanji told, trying to get him to calm down. "But if we're going to get him back, we'll need to find out where he is, then formulate a plan."

Getting an idea, Chopper asked Luffy, "How hard did he fall when they shot him down?"

"He was trying to fly back to the ship when they shot him down, and he was flying really fast, so he hit the ground pretty hard and slid a ways. Why?"

"Maybe we should check the hospitals near the place where he was taken. Maybe he'll be there, and we can get him back!" Chopper said excitedly, waving his tiny arms.

"Great idea!" Usopp said, hoping that they wouldn't have any trouble taking him back, though with their history of trying to take back their nakama, it was doubtful that it would be trouble-free. Operation Take Back Zoro both scared and thrilled him at the same time, but mostly scared him. "Now that that's worked out, I'll stay here and guard the Sunny."

"What are you talking about? It's Franky's turn to guard the Sunny. You're coming with us." Sanji said, starting to get a bit agitated.

"I think I'm coming down with the "I-can't-go-on-this-island" disease!" Usopp stated fearfully.

"Usopp," Luffy said to his sniper. "You've been on this island before."

Usopp swallowed.

* * *

Their search for Zoro at all the hospitals and clinics so far proved fruitless. The staff of each was no help whatsoever in helping them locate their missing nakama. It was dusk now, and they were all tired, discouraged, and upset.

"I don't like this place anymore," Luffy huffed in frustration once they'd gotten back to the Sunny. "When we get Zoro back, lets just leave."

"You said it," Usopp agreed, thinking how even though this island seemed like a paradise to the unsuspecting eye, there were things going on here that made it anything but. "But the thing is, we have no leads as to where he might be."

"We should sleep now," Nami said. "We'll be thinking more clearly tomorrow as to what our next move will be."

* * *

Zoro was nearly ready to give up, as he'd exhausted all his options and was no closer to getting out than he'd been when he'd started. At this point, he was ready to rip his wings from his body if it would restore his freedom.

He sat in the corner of his cell, thinking that he may very well never see Luffy again at this point. The chain on his collar clinked quietly as he got up to move to the bed. Earlier, in preparation for his sale, a band with a registration number was locked around his right leg near the ankle. They'd had to sedate him again to get it on him. It was now well after midnight, and Zoro couldn't sleep. He couldn't even occupy his time talking to Katsuya, who was sound asleep in his own bed. Careful of his wings, he lay down on his back, putting his hands behind his head.

He wondered about the family that was supposed to be picking him up later. Nurse Kanagawa had told him that he was to be a birthday gift for their teenage daughter. Wondering what kind of girl she was, he slowly slipped into a fitful sleep.

* * *

 _"From up here, you can see the whole Grandline!" Zoro heard Luffy marvel as he carried him on his shoulders. Wind in their hair, they soared through the air high above the rest of the world._

 _"Where do you want to go?" Zoro asked as he surveyed the landscape._

 _"Up so high, the clouds are below us!" Luffy laughed._

 _"Okay!" Zoro smiled one of his rare smiles as he soared up, up, up into the clouds, Luffy shouting with joy the whole way..._

 _"Momo?" A disembodied voice around them said. Zoro looked around him trying to find the source of the voice. "Momo, wake up..."_

Zoro blinked sleepily as reality came back to him. He was in his cell at the vet's office being awakened by Nurse Kanagawa and Luffy was nowhere to be found. It had been only a dream. He groaned and pulled the blanket over his head.

"No, Momo, don't go back to sleep! Your new family is here to pick you up," she said trying to pull back the blanket again.

Zoro took a small peek out of the blankets. He saw a man and woman looking to be in their late thirties to early forties with a refined, elegant appearance to them. The daughter wasn't with them. Zoro pulled the blanket shut once more. "I'm not going..." he protested sleepily. "...Wanna go back to my nakama..."

"You'll get new nakama you can talk to when you're with your new family," the nurse said.

"I don't want new nakama, and I already have a family," Zoro said, holding tight to his blanket. "Go away, all of you."

Nurse Kanagawa knew he'd be difficult, so excusing herself from the man and woman, she went to get a syringe. Filling it with a light sedative that would make him more cooperatve, she brought it back to her patient, ready to inject him with it.

When Zoro caught sight of the syringe, he threw off the blanket and jumped up, hands in front of him. The floor was cold on his bare feet, but he tried to pay it no mind. "Okay! Okay. I'll go," he said. His heart was a flurry of emotions. Sadness that he'd never see Luffy again, frustration that his adventures roaming the sea with him were coming to an end before they'd found One Piece, and anger that he was about to spend the rest of his life in some cage just because he'd been hungry enough to eat a strange fruit one day. He was twenty-one for goodness sake! He had a long time left to live! He'd be damned if he was going to spend the rest of his life in a cage to be gawked at!

"No! I'm not going!" Zoro said with renewed resolve. He moved around the bed as Nurse Kanagawa came at him with the syringe. He jerked at the chain on the collar around his neck. "Get this off me! Let me go!"

"Momo, you have to go with them," she said patiently, moving toward him again.

"Should we leave his carrier here and pick him up at a later time?" The man asked.

Zoro narrowed his good eye, getting distracted. "Don't leave anything! I'm not going _anywhere_ with-!" It was then that he felt a prick not unlike that of a pin, in the muscle of his buttocks. Almost immediately, his felt his muscles involuntarily relax, and his resistance began to wane.

A betrayed look graced Zoro's features as Nurse Kanagawa helped the couple get him into his carrier. "I'm really sorry, but this is for the best..." She said as she closed it up, and sent him on his way.


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry in advance for the sheer amount of OC's in this fic, but the Strawhats are on a new island, and the OC's are necessary for the fic. Again, I apologize.**

* * *

A drowsy eye opened, his vision slowly clearing with each blink. Knowing by now how the drugs affected him, he carefully sat up holding his head until the dizziness subsided. He was getting pretty tired of being sedated just because he was being uncooperative. It wasn't as if he _wanted_ to be here!

Looking around him, he noted that he was still a prisoner, albeit a prisoner in a different cage in a lavish home. Everything around him from his vantage point in the cage was clean and spotless. Through the gold-plated bars in front of him, he could see family photos on the wall going up along an elegant cream and chocolate staircase. A little to his right he spotted a large, plush cream-colored sofa with delicate gold and crystal endtables, a matching coffee table, and an armchair, all of which looked as if they'd been bought from a high-end shop just today.

There were cream and gold lamps on the coffee tables, along with some vermillion, tangerine, and amber flowers in small pots. From what he could see, there were very little in the way of knick-knacks on the tables other than a soundly sleeping den den mushi.

An ornate area rug lay beneath the sofa and coffee table, and the walls were painted a deep chocolate brown with golden trim, which made the room feel cozy to Zoro.

Turning his attention to the inside of his cage, which had the same color scheme as the rest of the room, he realized he was sitting on the softest, cushiest, plushest padding he'd ever sat on. He seemed to sink down into it. He was _damn_ sure he couldn't walk on it. There were throw pillows scattered all about the cage, and a thick, plush blanket crumpled in the corner where he'd left it. They apparently assumed he wanted toys to play with, as there were also a few of those scattered around, one of which looked to be some kind of beachball. He ignored these, as toys were not his thing.

There was a mirror on one of the cage walls and Zoro moved over to look into it. He noted that he appeared as tired as he felt. He also still had a chain and collar locked around his neck, but this time the collar was golden with a little white frilled, pink heart dangling from it. A small bell hung from the heart, which jingled whenever he moved. The ring for the chain was positioned in back of the collar, with the chain being attached to the ceiling of the cage. "Momo" was inscribed on the heart with an exquisite lighter pink cursive script.

Not wanting to have to live with such a girlie collar, he grabbed it, trying to rid himself of it. If he could free himself of the collar, then that was half the battle won already. Unfortunately, after several long minutes, he was no closer to being rid of it than he was before he started. It looked like he was stuck with it for now.

Just then, he heard a noise and peeked through the bars of his cage. What he saw made his blood boil. A large brown and white long-haired dog walked out of the kitchen that was located to the left of the cage, looking as if it had just woken from a nap itself.

Why was _he_ in a cage and not the dog?

* * *

Earlier that day, Franky had recalled that Robin had said something about the hybrids not being considered human, and he'd had the great idea of checking the veterinarian offices.

Their searching netted them zip, until...

"We're trying to find our nakama! His name is Zoro, he's this tall," Luffy held his hand slightly above his head to indicate Zoro's height. "He's got green hair and pink wings! Is he here?"

"I just got here a few minutes ago," the receptionist said. "But we did have a hybrid by that description brought in... yesterday... I think it was? He was treated for his injuries, but he may have been sold already. Let me check for you. Wait here."

While it was only a few minutes, to Luffy, the wait seemed eternal. When she came back, the look on her face told Luffy and the others what they needed to know. Zoro _had_ been sold, and was probably on his way to only-god-knew-where.

"I'm sorry, that particular hybrid has already been sold. If you'd like, I can point you to somewhere where you'd be able to purchase another-"

"I don't want another one!" Luffy interrupted, balling his hands into fists, and slamming them on the counter. "I want Zoro! He's our nakama!"

Nami stepped between Luffy and the receptionist's desk. "Sorry about this, but Zoro's our nakama, and we really need to get him back. Can you at least tell us to whom he was sold?"

"Sorry, that's classified. Once they're sold, we're not allowed to give out that information," she said.

"But he's important to me!" Luffy said, unaware that he was shouting.

"He's important to all of us," Nami calmly told the receptionist. She pulled out a thick stack of beri. "Are you _sure_ you don't have _any_ information you can give us?"

The woman looked hungrily at the bills, swallowing hard. Part of her wanted to tell the orange-haired girl exactly where their nakama was, but her desire to stay out of prison won out. "I-I can't take that... I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Luffy narrowed his eyes, giving the woman a sidelong glance before saying, "Let's go. We'll find Zoro if we have to destroy the whole island to do it."

* * *

'Stupid dog,' Zoro thought as he tried to break free of the cage. The dog just sat there, wagging its tail, watching him struggle to free himself. The constant jingling of the bell on his collar only served to piss him off.

After several minutes, Zoro stopped struggling, sat seiza style, placing his hands on his knees, and just glared at the dog. A few minutes later, the dog came over to the cage, lifted his paw, and scratched on one of the bars. Zoro sighed, his anger melting into mere frustration again. "You want me to come out? I _wanna_ get out. Locked up in here good though..." Reaching through the bars, he scratched the dog on the head. "You don't happen to know where the keys to this thing are, do you?" The dog tilted its head, whining. "What about the keys to this damnable collar?" Zoro tugged at it. "It's a little snug." He hated that collar, not least for being what he thought of as girlie. It seemed more appropriate for a kitten. Beginning to like the dog, he began to scratch it under the chin.

Hearing another noise coming from the kitchen, the dog licked his hand before running off into that room. Zoro pressed his face to the bars trying to see what was going on, but he couldn't see into the kitchen very well from where he was. He heard cheerful voices that sounded as if they were talking to the dog. His chain clinked quietly as he changed position to try to get a better view.

"What's that sound?" He heard a voice ask.

"There's an early birthday present for you in the den!" Zoro heard a woman's voice reply. He then heard a different jingling sound that sounded like keys. "He's got his own cage and everything he needs! Go in and look!"

The voice, which sounded like that of a teenaged girl then said, "Omigod, is it a hybrid? Please let it be a hybrid!"

Zoro heard footsteps coming toward the den where he was. He moved to the center of the cage as a girl with honey-colored hair entered.

"It _is_ a hybrid! And he has pink wings!" The girl exclaimed, coming over to the cage, reaching in. Zoro stayed out of her reach. She was about to use the keys to open it when her mother spoke again.

"He's a new hybrid, and not used to being caged. Let him get used to it first," the mother said.

"No!" Zoro spoke up. "Let me out!" Unable to stand properly on the padding, he crawled over to the girl trying to grab the keys from her hand which she quickly yanked out of his reach.

"His name is Momo, and he's kind of feisty. I don't think he'll bite, but be careful anyway," her mother told her, which made Zoro angry all over again. As she walked from the den up the stairs, she said over her shoulder, "Enjoy your gift!"

When her mother was gone, the girl put the keys to the cage down on the coffee table, and approached her new pet, who'd by now calmed down some. There was still that look of frustration on his face though. "Your name isn't really Momo, is it?"

Gazing away from her, leaning back against the bars, and putting his arms around his legs, Zoro simply shook his head.

"What's your real name?" She asked with no trace of malice on her face or in her voice.

Zoro sighed, he may as well tell her. What else did he have to lose? "Roronoa Zoro, and I'm a pirate... Was."

"I _knew_ you looked familiar!" She said quietly so as not to alert her mother upstairs. She glanced down at his ankles not covered by the long shorts he was wearing. She glanced back up at his scarred eye, wanting to touch it, but holding back out of respect for him. "So you're a pirate, that explains the scars."

Zoro turned to the girl, "So now that you know my name, what's yours?"

"My name? It's Emily. Emmi for short," the girl stated. "I hope living with us won't be too hard on you. My Mom, Dad, and Kid Brother will most likely treat you like a pet and not a human. I'll see what I can do to make them see otherwise, so try not to let it bother you too much."

"I suppose you can't just set me free so I can go home?" He asked hopefully.

"You're my birthday present," Emmi said. "They'll think I'm ungrateful if I set you free. Besides, you'll only be captured again. Now that you're a hybrid, and hybrids are our island's national treasures, they won't just let you leave."

"So I've been told." Zoro fingered the collar around his neck. It was snug but not really too uncomfortable.

"My Mom picked that out," she said, noting how close fitting it was. "Sorry..."

"It's okay. I could do without the bell though," he said, growing tired of hearing it tinkle whenever he moved his head.

"Don't worry. I'll get you another collar soon," she said knowing how girlie his current one was. "Something more manly."

He wanted to tell her that he didn't want to wear a collar at all, but he was tired, and needed a nap. He yawned, stretching his arms over his head.

"I'm gonna leave you alone so you can get some sleep. See you after your nap, Zoro!"

* * *

"You finally got that hybrid you wanted," Zoro heard a boy's voice say as he awoke from a long nap. He kept his eye closed and his breathing even as he listened to the ensuing conversation. "His eye scar looks _so_ cool, and so does his hair. When you get tired of him, can I have him? You can have Fletcher in exchange."

"I'm not _gonna_ get tired of Momo, and I don't want your dog!" Zoro heard Emmi say.

"But you like Fletcher though," the boy said.

He could hear the sigh from Emmi, and the obvious eye roll was nearly audible as well. "I do, but Momo has three of my favorite colors, there's no _way_ I'm gonna give him away! Anyway, be quiet! You'll wake him up, and he's had a rough day."

"Maybe Mom will get _me_ a hybrid for _my_ birthday," the boy said.

Emmi's voice again. "We don't _need_ more than one!"

"Why do you get to have one?" The boy asked, getting loudly indignant.

Zoro decided then that now was the time to "wake up" from his nap. As he moved his hand, Emmi hissed, "See? You're waking him up!"

"No, I'm not! _You_ are!" The boy said as Zoro slowly opened his good eye. He rolled onto his side, and slowly sat up, yawning hugely.

The blond-haired boy, who looked to be around eleven years of age, reached through the bars, into the cage, grabbing one of Zoro's wings. "Is your name Momo because your wings are pink?"

Zoro was thankful that his wings, unlike normal moth wings, were durable and strong, because the boy was pulling on the one in his hand hard enough to hurt had he been a normal man. "Oi, oi! Don't pull on me! I'm not a rope!"

"Don't you _dare_ hurt him, Josiah!" Emmi shouted, reaching in and slapping the boy's hand off Zoro's wing.

"Ow! What's your problem? I was just playing with him!" The boy angrily shouted, rubbing his hand.

"Don't just grab his wings like that!" She turned to Zoro. "Are you okay, Momo?"

"Yeah," he said as he scooted backwards, out of the boy's reach. He glanced to his left to see a hefty container, about the size of a gallon jug, filled with a clear liquid. The strawlike recepticle beneath it made it look like a glass with a straw turned upside-down. It hung on the inside cage wall near the door. He motioned to it. "Sugar water, or normal water?"

"Sugar water, so it's like nectar," she informed him.

He folded his arms in a similar fashion to the way he was sitting. "I'd rather have sake."

Josiah nearly lost it laughing, as she continued. "I can't give you any sake. Wanna try some of the sugar water?"

"I wanna get out of this cage and go back to my nakama," Zoro retorted flatly. "Just... let me out, okay?"

"No!" Josiah yelled. "You're ours now! We're not gonna let you go!"

Zoro turned in the boy's direction, narrowing his good eye. "Shut up! Who asked _you_?"

The boy had the nerve to look offended, as if he were better than Zoro. "You can't talk to me that way! Stupid moth!"

Emmi yelled, "Mom! Josiah is bothering Momo!"

"Josiah? Come here please, and leave Emmi alone with her pet," the woman said from the kitchen.

The boy took a last look at Zoro, shouting, "Stupid!"

"Go _away_!" Emmi said. Then when the boy was gone, she turned back to Zoro, who looked tired all over again. "I'm really sorry, he's not always like that. I guess he's just jealous that he didn't get a hybrid for his birthday."

"How old are you anyway?" Zoro asked, stretching his arms out of boredom.

"Seventeen," she said. "Well, I will be in a few days. You were an early birthday gift."

Zoro sighed, "I shouldn't have to live in a cage. If I have to be a pet, can't I be one without it?"

"Not really. Because hybrids can fly, and flying makes it easier for you to escape if you get loose. I know how you feel though. I wouldn't want to be caged either. Anyway, it's dinnertime now, I'll bring you something in a few minutes, okay?"

* * *

Dinner had actually been delicious, not quite on par with Sanji's food, but it was still really good. Having nothing else to drink with his meal, he'd had no choice but to sip the sugar water, finding it oddly enjoyable. Whether or not that was due to his being a moth hybrid, he didn't know, but he'd injested almost a fourth of the container.

Dinner was good, but now he was bored. He longed to be back on the Sunny, toning his muscles, or honing his katana techniques, but instead, he was locked up in a cage in a house with a family he wasn't sure he really liked (except for Emmi and Fletcher). As he lay on his back with his head on his pillow, blanket over his mid-section, he thought about how Luffy must be worrying about him. He just hoped that Luffy and the others wouldn't do to this island what they'd done to Enies Lobby when they'd gone to rescue Robin.

He hated that this time, he was going to have to be the one who was rescued. He hated that word, in reference to himself.

Through the bars, he watched the family go about their lives in the den as if he weren't there. He noted that the boy was very Sanji-like in that he liked to bicker with Emmi. A _lot_. From what little he saw, the mother and father obviously loved and cared for one another; being affectionate with each other almost like him and Luffy. He wondered how they'd feel if _they_ were forced to be apart the way he'd been forcibly separated from Luffy.

He hoped Luffy wasn't worrying about him too much.

* * *

"You found anything yet?" Luffy asked Usopp, Chopper, and Sanji as they rifled through the papers in folders in the records department at the vet's office after hours. It had been Nami's idea that they do that, rather than demolish every house on the island until they found Zoro.

"Nothing yet," Chopper said as he perused the folders in front of him. They were all wearing strap-on headlights to see in the dark.

"Same here. They don't seem to have much in the way of organization here," Sanji said as he started on his third paper-filled folder.

"Don't stop until we've found information on Zoro," Luffy said, grabbing another folder to go through.

* * *

As soon as the family went to bed, Zoro was up and trying once again to defeat the cage in which he was currently still imprisoned. Fletcher, who stayed to keep Zoro company, let out a low sorrowful whine, as the pink-winged hybrid tried his best to escape.

"Shit," Zoro swore as he pulled himself to a stand with the chain hanging from the cage ceiling. "How the hell'm I gonna get outta here?" He mumbled tiredly. Yanking the chain, trying to pull it down, didn't work either.

"Sleep, Momo!" He heard Emmi's mother yell down to him. He ignored her, continuing to look for ways to escape.

He whispered to the dog, petting him, "Hey Boy, you wanna try to help me get out of here, don't you Boy? Find me the keys, 'kay?"

The dog barked loudly, then whined.

"MOMO, GO TO SLEEP!" The voice yelled louder this time.

"Shh, shh," Zoro whispered to Fletcher. "Go find me the keys."

He watched as the dog moved away from his cage, making its way up the stairs. A few minutes later, a light came on up there, and Fletcher came down with a tired-looking Emmi.

"What's wrong, Zoro?" She asked as she crossed the room to his cage.

"Can't sleep..." he told her tiredly, crawling toward her to grasp the cage bars. "...Wanna get out..." All the effort to escape hurt his injured wrist, and he rubbed at the cast to try to soothe it.

Emmi looked down at what he was doing. "That hurting you? We have some medicine for you if you need it."

"Nah, it'll be okay."

"I know Mom said not to let you out of your cage..." Emmi said quietly. "Buuuuut, I guess it couldn't hurt to at least open the door, right? Get some fresh air, so to speak." She used the keys to open the door, then went to place them on one of the endtables, out of Zoro's reach.

Zoro sat in the doorway of the cage, glad to have some modicum of freedom, even if he was still chained. "Do I have to live like this for the rest of my life?"

"I... don't know," Emmi said as she sat next to him. "I know you were a gift from my parents, but part of me really wants to just let you go free so you can be happy."

"Yeah, I'm not happy here at all," Zoro said sadly. "This is worse than that one time in Water 7..." He trailed off.

"Zoro?" Her face was one of concern. "What happened that one time in Water 7?"

A small smile lit Zoro's face. "This woman, she tried to adopt me as one of her kids. She had like ten others she'd taken in, and she wanted to do the same to me. She meant well, but I was nineteen at the time. Why she wanted to take in a nineteen year old as her kid, I have no idea, but I spent the better part of a day trying to get away from them and back to my nakama. There was a point where they did let me go, only for them to start chasing me again. Of course, I realized later that they were trying to give me back my shirt."

"Your shirt?" She asked confused.

"Yeah, earlier that day, one of the babies peed on my shirt and she-the woman trying to take me in-she had to wash it and iron it," Zoro told her. "She gave me a crop top to wear while she took care of my original shirt. Can you imagine? A crop top!"

Emmi chuckled, "You probably looked nice in it."

"No way! It had a cartoon picture of her on the front along with the words, "Ma Ma"! There was _no WAY_ I was gonna wear such a thing!" He averted his eyes. "'Cept I had no choice since she had my other shirt..."

Emmi burst out laughing before she remembered that there were people in the house trying to sleep. "I wish I could hear more of the stories you have."

Zoro smiled. "If it's stories you like, you'll love Usopp. He tells the most incredible stories!" He paused. "The fact that they're all made-up is completely irrelevant!"

Again, Emmi's laughter filled the air around them. "I wish I could meet your nakama. They sound like fun."

"Yeah, they're a great bunch. I think they would like you and Fletcher too." Zoro yawned, rubbing his eyes with one of his many hands.

"Tired?" She asked, rubbing his back, careful of his wings.

"Yeah," Zoro replied. "Can I sleep on the sofa? Don't wanna go back in the cage..."

"You're still chained inside." Emmi reminded him. She smiled. "C'mon. Let's just get back in the cage, and go to sleep and I'll see about letting you out tomorrow afternoon, okay?"

Zoro sighed. He couldn't remove the collar, so he really had no choice but to go back into the hated cage.

Emmi thought for a second, then went to her room to get a den den radio. Coming back down the stairs, She placed it near Zoro's cage, turning it to a station playing soft soothing music. "This should help you sleep."

She went into the barred structure and pulled the blanket over Zoro. "Goodnight Zoro." And she stayed with him until he fell asleep.

* * *

Hours passed and they still had no luck. It was as if they didn't have information on any of the hybrids they'd treated, let alone Zoro. Nami was wondering if maybe the records were housed in another facility, when a male voice called out, "Is anyone there? Please! You gotta help me!"

Nami noted the look on Luffy's face, and stopped him from heading in the direction of the voice. "Don't go in there," she hissed, "It could be a trap."

"But how will we know if we don't go in there?" Luffy asked; arm stretching as he walked out of the records room.

"Nami's right, Luffy, we should just continue to look for Zoro's records," Usopp said, joining Nami in trying to keep him back.

"I'm strong. If it _is_ a trap, I'll kick his ass!" Luffy said from out in the hall.

Sanji, Nami, and Usopp decided to follow him, if only to keep him out of too much more trouble.

"Please help me!" The voice sounded scared, but hopeful at the same time. Luffy followed it to a dimly lit white room with tables, a sink, and other equipment in it. His eyes immediately locked onto a long-haired male hybrid with pale yellow and peach colored wings standing in a large cage-like cell.

"It's another hybrid!" Luffy exclaimed quietly as the others filed in. Speaking to the man in the cell as he walked toward him, he said, "What's your name?"

"Katsuya... I'm the resident hybrid." The man told them. His cheeks flushed with embarrassment as he looked away.

"What do you mean, "resident"?" Usopp asked stepping closer.

"I live here. In this cell," he said, having trouble meeting their gazes. "You're not from around here, are you?"

"No, we're from East Blue." They didn't miss the way Katsuya's eyes lit up at the mention of East Blue. "We're looking for, Zoro, our nakama." Luffy stated.

"You must be Luffy, then! Zoro could only think of getting back to you. Tried his best to get out of here too," he told Luffy. "You're lucky, to have such a loyal nakama."

"He's actually my boyfriend," Luffy said. While it warmed Luffy's heart to think of Zoro trying his best to get back to him, it made him angry that the government officials had forcefully separated them in the first place.

"I see. I wish my girlfriend had that kind of love for me. I only get to see her every few months," Katsuya told them sadly. "We have a son together, but I still only see them every once in a while."

"Every few months? How long have you been here?" Sanji asked.

"About ten years..." Katsuya was ashamed to say. At the looks of horror from the people outside his cell, he continued, "Anyway, can you set me free? I need to get out of here. Please." As Luffy stepped toward him, he said, "Careful, this cell is made of sea stone."

"Shit. I'll do it then," Sanji said, about to light up, but deciding against it. "Where do they keep your keys?"

Katsuya could hardly contain his excitement, and he stumbled over his words. "O-On the door! On th-the wall _near_ the door! The one you came through!"

While Sanji went to get the keys, Luffy observed the collar the man wore. "They keep you collared too?"

"Yes... I've worn it for so long, I don't even remember what it feels like _not_ to wear one." Katsuya ran his hand over it.

"We're gonna get you out of there, right now," Sanji said as he brought back the keys to the cell and collar.

* * *

Katsuya massaged his freed neck as the open collar clinked loudly to the floor. "Thank you _so_ much! They'll eventually capture me again, but for now, I'm gonna enjoy my freedom! I'm so grateful to you!"

"What do you mean "they'll capture you again"?" Nami asked, as Katsuya stepped out of the cell a free man for the first time in years.

"Hybrids are kept as beautiful pets here," he explained. "Once we become a hybrid, we lose our humanity in the eyes of others. What we want no longer matters."

"That's horrible!"

"It is, but that's the way things are here."

Luffy asked, "Do you have any information as to where Zoro was taken?"

"No, sorry. They don't tell me anything," Katsuya said. "Plus, he was taken so early that morning, that by the time I woke up that day, he was already gone."

"Damn," Luffy said as he put his hand to his chin. They were no closer to finding Zoro than they were when they'd started going through the folders. "Is there another place that they have the files on the hybrids?"

"Yeah, they don't keep them all here, though you'd think they would. Unfortunately, I'm not entirely sure where they keep them. Living here for the last ten years... there are so many things I _don't_ know."

"Hey, don't worry about it," Nami told him. "You're free now. Go out there and make the most of what freedom you have. Catch up on life."

"I will. Thank you all again, so much! I'll never forget what you've done for me!" Katsuya said just before he left the room, flexing his beautiful wings.

"He was a nice guy," Usopp said as they closed the door to the cell, taking the keys with them so that the cells couldn't be easily opened again.


End file.
